Vehicle-shafts.



H. A. POSTER 6: F. G. KITTREDGE.

VEHICLE SHAFTS. APPLIOATION IILED SEPT. 25, 1913.

1,091,322; Patented Mar.24,-191$ Ei JS'- couJMmA PLANOGRAPH 120-, WASHINGTON. D. c.

"NITED s'ra'rns FATE onnron.

HARRY ARTHUR FOSTER AND FRANK C. KITTREDGE, 0F WELD, MAINE.

VEHICLE-SHAFTS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HARRY A. Fos'rnn and FRANK C. KITTREDGE, citizens of the United States, residing at Weld, in the county of Franklin, State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vehicle-Shafts; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention is directed to improvements in vehicle shafts, and has for its object to so constructa device of this character that the same may be shifted laterally so that a single animal attached to the shafts will be permitted to travel at one side of the center of the road upon a firm and even surface, while the runners travel on a beaten track.

A further object of the invention is to so construct a device of this character that the shafts can be shifted without the necessity of leaving the seat of the sleigh.

Vith these and other objects in view, this invention resides in the novel features of construction, formation, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view of a sleigh showing the device in place thereon. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a similar view on line 44 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of the locking lever. Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 1, showing the position assumed by the looking lever when shifting the shaft laterally.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a tube, having slidably mounted therein a rod 2, said rod having its inner end provided with a recess 3 which contains a plurality of ball-bearings 4 so as to permit free sliding movement of said rod. The open end of the tube 1 is also provided with a series of ball-bearings 5 which engage the rod 2 so as to further aid in the free sliding movement thereof.

The shafts 6 are connected at their inner ends by the usual cross bar 7 to which is pivotally connected a swingle tree 8. One of the shafts 6 terminates in a downwardly curved end 7, which is fixed to the outer end of the rod 2. Fixed near the outer end Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 25, 1913.

) Patented Mar. 24, 1914. Serial No. 791,869.

of the bar 7 is a curved arm 9 which has its lower end provided with a sleeve 10, which slidably engages the tube 1, said sleeve being provided interiorly with ball-bearings 11 so that the sleeve may slide upon the tube 1 without undue friction.

The tube 1 is fixed to the forward ends of the sleigh runners 12 in any suitable manner.

Fixed to the usual dash board 13 is a plate 14, having formed integral therewith a plate 15 to which is pivotally connected the bar 16, which is passed through the dash board and has its outer end pivotally connected to the inner end of a link 17, the outer end of which is similarly connected to the sleeve 10. The plate 14 is provided near its opposite ends with sockets 18 and 19, the purpose of which will appear later. Hingedly connected to the inner end of the bar 16 is a lever 20, said lever being provided with a finger 21, said finger being adapted to engage the sockets 18 and 19.

As shown in Fig. l the lever is in a position to hold the shafts in their shifted positions, and at which time the finger 21 is engaged in the socket 19. When it is desired to return the shafts to their normal positions it is only necessary to disengage the finger 21 from the socket 19 which is accomplished by swinging the lever 20 downwardly, whereupon the same is swung to the left which action causes the links 17 to force the sleeve 10 to the right, during which time the rod 2 willslide into the tube 1. After this operation the lever 20 is swung upwardly so that the finger 21 will engage the socket 18, thereby locking the rod 2 against sliding movement.

From this construction it will be seen that the shafts are not only permitted to be shifted laterally, but are capable of swinging downwardly and upwardly to compensate for the movement imparted to the shafts by the animal when traveling.

hat is claimed is 1. The combination with the forward ends of sleigh runners, of a tube fixed'thereto, a rod slidably mounted in the tube, shafts connected to the tube and rod, a bar pivotally supported by the sleigh, a link connecting the shafts and bar, a lever hingedly connected to the inner end of the bar for shifting the bar and thus the shafts, and means carried by the lever for locking the shafts in shifted positions.

2. In combination with the forward ends of sleigh runners, of a tube fixed thereto, a rod telescopically connected to the tube, shafts connected to the tube, shafts connected at their inner ends by a cross bar, one of said shafts having its end fixed to said rod, an arm fixed to the cross bar, said arm having a sleeve formed integral therewith for slidably engaging the tube, a plate fixed to the sleigh and having sockets formed in its ends, a curved bar carried by the plate, a bar pivotally connected to the firstnamed bar, a link having one end pivotally connected to the second named bar,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for and its other end to said sleeve, a lever hingedly connected to the inner end of the first named bar, a finger carried by the lever, said finger being adapted to engage the sockets to hold the shafts in their shifted positions.

In testimony whereof, We aiiix our signatures, in the presence of two witnesses.

HARRY ARTHUR FOSTER. FRANK G. KITTREDGE.

Witnesses M. E. PRATT, H. K. lVASHBURN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

